Personal transportation vehicles, such as motorized wheel chairs, scooters, power chairs, etc., are commonly used by persons having ambulatory difficulties or other disabilities. Personal transportation vehicles are often transported in a pickup truck, van, automobile, sport utility vehicle, or other suitable vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a “transporting vehicle”). Although compact, personal transportation vehicles can weigh several hundred pounds. Thus, some type of lifting device is usually required to load the personal transportation vehicle onto and off of the transporting vehicle.
A typical lifting device can include a horizontally-oriented arm having a retractable strap extending therefrom for lifting the personal transportation vehicle. Some types of arms may telescope to increase the overall length of the arm, thereby permitting the end of the arm to be located directly over the center of gravity of the personal transportation vehicle during lifting.
The lifting arm is usually supported by a column that extends, at least in part, in the vertical direction. The column can be rotatably coupled to a base secured to the floor, bed, or other suitable mounting surface of the transporting vehicle. Rotation of the column in relation to the base permits the arm (and the personal transportation vehicle) to be swung into and out of the interior or bed of the transporting vehicle, once the personal transportation vehicle has been lifted to an appropriate height.
The base of a conventional arm-type lifting device, in general, must be configured by the manufacturer or installer for a left or right hand installation, i.e., for installation on a particular side of the transporting vehicle. Hence, additional parts must often be designed, manufactured, and provided with the lifting device to facilitate the possibility of both left and right-hand installations. Moreover, reconfiguring the base between a left and right hand mounting configuration after delivery to the user may require that the lifting device be returned to the dealer or other location where trained service personnel and appropriate tooling are located.
Moreover, the base of a conventional arm-type lifting device is usually bulky, and may by subject to interference with the wheel well or other structure of the transporting vehicle. More particularly, a typical base includes two elongated, tubular legs. The legs are secured to the mounting surface, and help to stabilize the lifting device. The relatively large diameter of the tubular legs, in general, makes it difficult for the wheels of the personal transportation vehicle to traverse the legs once the personal transportation vehicle has been placed in the transporting vehicle. Hence, it may be difficult or unfeasible to move the personal transportation vehicle after loading.
Moreover, the legs are usually fixed to the remainder of the base in a rigid manner, so that the orientation of the legs cannot be changed. The potential for interference between the legs, and obstructions on the mounting surface such as wheel wells, can limit the placement of the lifting device within the transporting vehicle. In other words, the need to place the lifting device in a position where the legs will not interfere with obstacles in the transporting vehicle may necessitate placing the lifting device in an undesired, or less than optimal location.